No tax hike in Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation budget

The budget for Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) presented on Monday has not proposed any hike in taxes even as it proposed to do away with levy of octroi.

The size of the budget at Rs 27,578 crore is said to be more than the budget size of many states in the country.

Presenting the budget to the Standing Committee, Municipal Commissioner Sitaram Kunte said: “The civic body has neither proposed to hike the rates of the present taxes nor any new taxes have been imposed in the Budget Estimates for 2013—14.”

The budget shows estimated revenue for 2013—14 at Rs 20,472 crore and nearly 60 per cent of which would be received from octroi/local body tax and property tax.

Octroi will be replaced by more trader-friendly Local Body Tax from October and the corporation expects increased revenues from the new levy.

Revenue expenditure for the year is projected at Rs 20,472 crore of which 50 per cent will be on establishment and administration.

The budget has estimated capital receipts at Rs 7,106 crore and capital expenditure at Rs 9,439 crore (including loan) of which about 60 per cent is earmarked for roads, water supply and storm water drains.

For the concretisation of roads and improvement of asphalt roads, it has made a provision of Rs 714,44 crore, the Municipal Commissioner said.

He said to kick-start the Mumbai Coastal Road Project, the civic body has invited Request For Proposal for selection of consultants.

To increase and retain the enrolment and to boost the attendance of girl students across civic schools, the BMC has proposed to offer certain incentives, he said.

He also said that the civic body is not taking up new projects as it has decided to give momentum to existing projects to complete them.

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